Sixtythousand mannequins a year: that's what Pier Giraudi produces in China
After graduating from Bocconi in 2001 with a degree in Business Administration, with a specialization in Economics of International Companies, Giraudi went to work first at Bain and later at Capitalia Banca in Rome. And then the decision was made to go to China to get an MBA at the CEIBS. It was the business school which forever changed the life of Pier Giraudi, CEO of Almax Asia Pacific, a leading company in the production of thermoformed plastic mannequins. During his studies, he met a professor who became his wife. "She is one of the reasons why I've stayed in China. She has enabled me to experience what it's like to live in a Chinese family, and thanks to our four-year old child, that experience has become completely familiar," explained Pier Giraudi. When he first arrived in Shanghai he dealt with the internationalization of European businesses that were interested in expanding into Asia: "Almax was one of my clients, and when China entered the WTO (World Trade Organization), the company found itself dealing with the negative effects of its Chinese competitors, who could put a mannequin on the market for a cost that was ten times less than its own. My advice was to start producing directly in China." And so, thanks to that piece of strategic advice, Pier Giraudi became directly involved in opening and managing Almax's Chinese branch.
The goal was to improve the Italian parent company's lot. "The company's CEO, Max Catanese - my friend and fellow Bocconian - asked me if I wanted to participate in this project. I accepted the invitation and contributed my own capital." It was 2008, and the initial investment was made by Almax, Pier Giraudi, and Simest, an Italian company which supports Italian entrepreneurs abroad, which was later liquidated. "After that, we went a long way - in China and the rest of the world. For example, we were able to establish ourselves in the American market thanks to the Lifestyle/Trimco/Viaggio merger. But even more importantly we got into Elite, an Italian Exchange project whose aim is to subsidize the listings of the most promising small and medium-sized Italian companies." At the start of this adventure, in order to guarantee the quality of its products, the production costs sustained by Almax were higher than Chinese ones. Today, however, Giraudi has noticed an about-turn due to the increase in labor costs in China, and this situation has given the Italian company a competitive edge: "thanks to our technology and the contributions of 150 workers, each year we are able to produce 60 thousand mannequins and guarantee an outstanding and recyclable product."
Pier Giraudi is one of the over 500 Bocconi alumni present in China - where on March 11, in Shanghai, will be held the 4th edition of the Bocconi Alumni Global Conference.
Click here to learn more about the Bocconi community in China and read the stories of other alumni living there